The aim of this research project was to develop an implementation concept for a longitudinal study for the recording of the development of the driving and traffic competence of novice drivers over time. Requirements on measures for the support of the competence acquisition are to be developed from the results of the longitudinal study. To meet this research aim, in the first part of the report a theoretical framework for driving skill, driving competence and their increase by practice and experience is derived based on theoretical considerations and against the background of published findings regarding the traffic safety of young and novice drivers and the differences compared to experienced drivers. The terms driving skills and driving competence are therefore defined as measurable constructs which are linked to traffic safety. Whilst driving skills describes purely the ability to drive, the term driving competence also includes the motivational and volitional factors relevant for traffic safety. The report introduces a new classification of the driving task, which is tailored to the needs of the study of novice drivers. In addition, a model concept of the information processing process when driving cars and for the processes of the increase in driving competence is developed based on a consideration of resources. According to that, there are three different information processing levels: purely cognitive, cognitive-sensorimotoric and the purely sensorimotoric. On the cognitive level, tasks are processed which are not connected directly to motoric actions. On the cognitive-sensorimotoric level cognition and sensomotoric continuously work hand in hand to fulfil the primary driving tasks of the lateral and longitudinal guidance. On the purely sensorimotoric level, cognition does not have any influence. Based on the developed model representations, the requirements on the design of longitudinal studies are discussed in the second part. In doing so, the essence of the study is defined by the recoding of survey data, traffic observations in real traffic and simulator experiments. Finally, two different complex designs for longitudinal studies with novice drivers are developed. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting